Liquid Stretch Coating for Garments and Methods for Application Thereof

ABSTRACT

A garment comprises yarns that include an elastic component and includes an uncoated region and a discrete coated region. The discrete coated region includes a coating that includes an acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof. The coated region has an air permeability substantially similar to the air permeability of the uncoated region.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/228,076, filed Dec. 20, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/608,918, filed Dec. 21, 2017, andthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/692,980, filedJul. 2, 2018. The entire contents of each of the above applications arehereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to coatings for garments, and inparticular for coatings for stretch garments and methods for applicationthereof that provide structure retention to discrete regions of thegarment following stretching.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The global market for comfort denim has an increased demand for denimwith excellent resilience, good stretchability and long-lastingstructure retention. Stretch denim provides many of these properties—inaddition to excellent fit and good elastic recovery—and as a result, thestretch denim market continues to grow.

Comfort is a particular attribute that consumers desire in denim jeans.Denim jeans with high comfort and flexibility are produced by blendingspandex with other yarns, including but not limited to polyester andcotton yarns. Though spandex denims provide excellent comfort andmobility to consumers, they have limitations, including sagging andbagging at the knees and rear caused by regular wear and tear. This canbe particularly distressing for certain consumers who expect stretchdenims to perform exceptionally better than regular denims. Theseconsumers expect stretch denims to have excellent comfort and retain ahigh degree of dimensional stability and durability. In other words,denim consumers expect stretch denims to fit well without constrictionthroughout the day and weeks so that the wearers still have the freedomto move around freely. In addition, they expect their stretch denims todeliver reduced sagging and bagging even after multiple uses. This isnot the case, however.

Polyurethane coatings have been applied to denim jeans, such asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,984,668 to Tulin et al., but such jeans donot provide satisfactory structure retention, i.e., they do notsufficiently return to their original shape after being stretched.

These and other shortcomings are addressed by aspects of the presentdisclosure.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a garment including yams includingan elastic component and a coating including an acrylic polymer orcopolymer thereof. The coating is located on at least one discreteregion of the garment.

Aspects of the disclosure further relate to method for applying acoating to at least one discrete region of a garment with a sprayapparatus. The method includes placing the garment on a conveyancesystem, advancing the garment proximate to at least one spray nozzle,and operating the controller to activate the at least one spray nozzleand apply the coating to the at least one discrete region of thegarment.

In an aspect of this disclosure, a garment comprising yarns that includean elastic component includes an uncoated region and a discrete coatedregion. The discrete coated region includes a coating that includes anacrylic polymer or copolymer thereof. The coated region has an airpermeability substantially similar to the air permeability of theuncoated region.

In aspects, the coated region as an air permeability in a range of 88%to 95% of the uncoated region. The coated region may be visuallyundetectable from the uncoated region. The coating may include acrosslinker component that is from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of theacrylic polymer and from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of thecrosslinker component.

In some aspects, the yarns are formed of cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax,jute, Kapok, viscose, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, modacrylic,aramid, thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polybenzimidazole (PBI),polybenzoxazole (PBO), melamine, or combinations thereof.

In certain aspects, the garment may be pants and the coated region maybe a hip region, a thigh region, a knee region, or combinations thereof.The garment may be a shirt and the coated region may be a collar region,a sleeve region, a cuff region, or combinations thereof.

In particular aspects, the coated region of the garment has a structureretention that is at least 5% improved as compared to a discrete regionof a garment comprising a substantially similar coating comprising apolyurethane polymer instead of the acrylic polymer or copolymerthereof. The coating may penetrate a surface of the garment.

In another aspect of the disclosure, a garment comprises yarns thatinclude an elastic component includes an uncoated region and a discretecoated region. The discrete coated region includes a coating comprisingan acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof. The coated region is visuallyundetectable from the uncoated region.

In aspects, the coated region has an air permeability substantiallysimilar to the air permeability of the uncoated region. The coatedregion may have an air permeability in a range of 88% to 95% of theuncoated region. The coated region may be visually undetectable from theuncoated region. The coating may include a crosslinker component that isfrom about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the acrylic polymer and from about1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the crosslinker component.

In some aspects, the yarns are formed of cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax,jute, Kapok, viscose, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, modacrylic,aramid, thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polybenzimidazole (PBI),polybenzoxazole (PBO), melamine, or combinations thereof.

In certain aspects, the garment may be pants and the coated region maybe a hip region, a thigh region, a knee region, or combinations thereof.The garment may be a shirt and the coated region may be a collar region,a sleeve region, a cuff region, or combinations thereof.

In particular aspects, the coated region of the garment has a structureretention that is at least 5% improved as compared to a discrete regionof a garment comprising a substantially similar coating comprising apolyurethane polymer instead of the acrylic polymer or copolymerthereof. The coating may penetrate a surface of the garment.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for applying acoating to a discrete region of a garment with a spray apparatusincludes spraying an acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof on a discreteregion of a garment such that the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereofpenetrates a surface of the garment to form a coating in the discreteregion and drying the garment such that the discrete region of thegarment has an air permeability substantially similar to the airpermeability of an uncoated region of the garment.

In aspects, spraying the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof includesplacing the garment on a conveyance system, advancing the garmentproximate to the spray apparatus, and operating a controller to activatethe spray nozzle and applying the coating to the discrete region of thegarment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numeralsmay describe similar components in different views. Like numerals havingdifferent letter suffixes may represent different instances of similarcomponents. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, butnot by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the presentdocument.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate discrete regions of a garment onto which acoating according to aspects of the disclosure may be applied.

FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art method for applying a coating to agarment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method for applying a coating to a garmentaccording to aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a spray nozzle according to aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a spray tip according to aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a discrete region of a garment onto which a coatingaccording to aspects of the disclosure may be applied.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a method for applying a coatingto a garment according to aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a chart comparing structure retention of fabrics coatedaccording to aspects of the disclosure to those of conventionally coatedfabrics.

FIG. 9 is another chart comparing structure retention of fabrics coatedaccording to aspects of the disclosure to those of conventionally coatedfabrics.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing performance enhancement of coated fabricsaccording to aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a photograph comparing dyed fabrics according to aspects ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 12A is a photograph showing an inside of a garment with the coatingaccording to aspects of the disclosure applied to regions thereof.

FIG. 12B is a photograph showing an inside of a garment with a prior artcoating applied to regions thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference tothe following detailed description of the disclosure and the Examplesincluded therein. In various aspects, the present disclosure pertains toa garment including yams including an elastic component and a coatingincluding an acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof. The coating islocated on at least one discrete region of the garment. Methods forapplying a coating to at least one discrete region of a garment with aspray apparatus are also described. The coating provides stretchgarments with improved structure retention properties as compared togarments that do not include the coating or that include otherconventional (e.g., polyurethane) coatings.

Before the present compounds, compositions, articles, systems, devices,and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood thatthey are not limited to specific synthetic methods unless otherwisespecified, or to particular reagents unless otherwise specified, as suchcan, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminologyused herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only andis not intended to be limiting.

Various combinations of elements of this disclosure are encompassed bythis disclosure, e.g., combinations of elements from dependent claimsthat depend upon the same independent claim.

Moreover, it is to be understood that unless otherwise expressly stated,it is in no way intended that any method set forth herein be construedas requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order.Accordingly, where a method claim does not actually recite an order tobe followed by its steps or it is not otherwise specifically stated inthe claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to aspecific order, it is no way intended that an order be inferred, in anyrespect. This holds for any possible non-express basis forinterpretation, including: matters of logic with respect to arrangementof steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammaticalorganization or punctuation; and the number or type of embodimentsdescribed in the specification.

All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by referenceto disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection withwhich the publications are cited.

Definitions

It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for thepurpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to belimiting. As used in the specification and in the claim s, the term“comprising” can include the embodiments “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of.” Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientificterms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one ofordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In thisspecification and in the claims which follow, reference will be made toa number of terms which shall be defined herein.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms“a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “an acrylic polymer”includes mixtures of two or more acrylic polymers.

As used herein, the term “combination” is inclusive of blends, mixtures,alloys, reaction products, and the like.

Ranges can be expressed herein as from one value (first value) toanother value (second value). When such a range is expressed, the rangeincludes in some aspects one or both of the first value and the secondvalue. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use ofthe antecedent ‘about,’ it will be understood that the particular valueforms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpointsof each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the otherendpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. It is also understoodthat there are a number of values disclosed herein, and that each valueis also herein disclosed as “about” that particular value in addition tothe value itself. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then“about 10” is also disclosed. It is also understood that each unitbetween two particular units are also disclosed. For example, if 10 and15 are disclosed, then 11, 12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed.

As used herein, the terms “about” and “at or about” mean that the amountor value in question can be the designated value, approximately thedesignated value, or about the same as the designated value. It isgenerally understood, as used herein, that it is the nominal valueindicated ±10% variation unless otherwise indicated or inferred. Theterm is intended to convey that similar values promote equivalentresults or effects recited in the claims. That is, it is understood thatamounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities andcharacteristics are not and need not be exact, but can be approximateand/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversionfactors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factorsknown to those of skill in the art. In general, an amount, size,formulation, parameter or other quantity or characteristic is “about” or“approximate” whether or not expressly stated to be such. It isunderstood that where “about” is used before a quantitative value, theparameter also includes the specific quantitative value itself, unlessspecifically stated otherwise.

Disclosed are the components to be used to prepare the compositions ofthe disclosure as well as the compositions themselves to be used withinthe methods disclosed herein. These and other materials are disclosedherein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets,interactions, groups, etc. of these materials are disclosed that whilespecific reference of each various individual and collectivecombinations and permutation of these compounds cannot be explicitlydisclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein. Forexample, if a particular compound is disclosed and discussed and anumber of modifications that can be made to a number of moleculesincluding the compounds are discussed, specifically contemplated is eachand every combination and permutation of the compound and themodifications that are possible unless specifically indicated to thecontrary. Thus, if a class of molecules A, B, and C are disclosed aswell as a class of molecules D, E, and F and an example of a combinationmolecule, A-O is disclosed, then even if each is not individuallyrecited each is individually and collectively contemplated meaningcombinations, A-E, A-F, B-D, B-E, B-F, C-D, C-E, and C-F are considereddisclosed. Likewise, any subset or combination of these is alsodisclosed. Thus, for example, the sub-group of A-E, B-F, and C-E wouldbe considered disclosed. This concept applies to all aspects of thisapplication including, but not limited to, steps in methods of makingand using the compositions of the disclosure. Thus, if there are avariety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood thateach of these additional steps can be performed with any specific aspector combination of aspects of the methods of the disclosure.

References in the specification and concluding claims to parts by weightof a particular element or component in a composition or article,denotes the weight relationship between the element or component and anyother elements or components in the composition or article for which apart by weight is expressed. Thus, in a compound containing 2 parts byweight of component X and 5 parts by weight component Y, X and Y arepresent at a weight ratio of 2:5, and are present in such ratioregardless of whether additional components are contained in thecompound.

A weight percent of a component, unless specifically stated to thecontrary, is based on the total weight of the formulation or compositionin which the component is included.

As used herein the terms “weight percent,” “ %,” and “wt. %,” which canbe used interchangeably, indicate the percent by weight of a givencomponent based on the total weight of the composition, unless otherwisespecified. That is, unless otherwise specified, all wt % values arebased on the total weight of the composition. It should be understoodthat the sum of wt % values for all components in a disclosedcomposition or formulation are equal to 100.

Unless otherwise stated to the contrary herein, all test standards arethe most recent standard in effect at the time of filing thisapplication.

Each of the materials disclosed herein are either commercially availableand/or the methods for the production thereof are known to those ofskill in the art.

It is understood that the compositions disclosed herein have certainfunctions. Disclosed herein are certain structural requirements forperforming the disclosed functions and it is understood that there are avariety of structures that can perform the same function that arerelated to the disclosed structures, and that these structures willtypically achieve the same result.

Acrylic Coated Stretch Garments

Aspects of the disclosure relate to coatings for stretch garments thatprovide structure retention to discrete regions of the garment. Inparticular aspects, and with reference to FIG. 1, the garment 100includes yams including an elastic component, such as but not limited tospandex (e.g., Lycra®) or elastane.

A coating is included on at least one discrete region 110 of the garment100. The coating includes an acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof. Asused herein, an acrylic polymer is a polymer derived from acrylic acidor acrylates.

In some aspects the coating further includes a crosslinker component.The crosslinker component may enhance bonding of the acrylicpolymer/copolymer to the fabric of the garment. Exemplary crosslinkercomponents that may be suitable in aspects of the disclosure include,but are not limited to, polycarbodiimide, maleic anhydride, copolymersthereof, derivatives, thereof and combinations thereof. When thecrosslinker component is included, the coating may include from about 1wt % to about 99 wt % of the acrylic polymer and from about 1 wt % toabout 99 wt % of the crosslinker component.

In some aspects the coating further includes from greater than 0 wt % toabout 5 wt % of an additional additive. The additional additive mayinclude, but is not limited to, a dye, a pigment, an ultravioletresistant additive, an antimicrobial additive, an odor control additive,a moisture transport additive, a flame retardant, an insect repellant, afragrance, or a combination thereof.

The coating may be diluted prior to applying it onto the discreteregion(s) 110 of the garment 100 provided that desired performance ofthe discrete region 110 (e.g., structure retention) is maintained. Insome aspects the coating is diluted so that the coating includes fromabout 5 wt % to about 90 wt % of the concentrated mixture (acrylicpolymer or copolymer, crosslinker component and additional additive(s)if included) and about 10 wt % to about 95 wt % of the diluent. In oneaspect the diluent is water. Other suitable diluents may be used.

As noted herein, the garment 100 includes yams including an elasticcomponent. The yarns further include in some aspects natural fibers,synthetic fibers or a combination thereof. The natural fibers mayinclude, but are not limited to cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax, jute,Kapok and combinations thereof. The synthetic fibers may include, butare not limited to viscose, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, modacrylic,aramid, thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polybenzimidazole (PBI),polybenzoxazole (PBO), melamine and combinations thereof. The fibers maybe in any form, including but not limited to spun yams, filament yams,stretch broken yams, core spun yams, or any combination thereof.

In some aspects, such as that illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, thegarment 100 is pants and the at least one discrete region of the garmentis a hip region, a thigh region, a knee region or a combination thereof.In further aspects the garment 100 is a shirt and the at least onediscrete region 110 is a collar region, a sleeve region, a cuff regionor a combination thereof.

The coating including an acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof providesimproved structure retention to the garment as compared to a garmentthat does not include the coating or that includes other known coatings(such as polyurethane coatings). Specifically, for garments that includestretch fabrics (e.g., stretch denim), the coating enhances the abilityof the fabric to return to its original shape after being stretched.Thus, in certain aspects the at least one discrete region 110 of thegarment 100 that includes the coating according to the presentdisclosure has a structure retention that is at least 5% improved ascompared to a discrete region of a garment including a substantiallysimilar coating including a polyurethane polymer. In further aspects,the at least one discrete region 110 of the garment 100 including thecoating has a structure retention that is at least 10% improved, or atleast 12% improved, or at least 15% improved, or from about 5% to about50% improved, or from about 5% to about 20% improved, or from about 8%to about 20% improved, or from about 10% to about 20% improved, ascompared to a discrete region of a garment including a substantiallysimilar coating including a polyurethane polymer. Structure retention isquantified by a percent hysteresis determination as described below inthe Examples.

In some aspects the coating may be applied onto the at least onediscrete region 110 of the garment 100 at a level of from about 20 gramsper square meter (g/m2 to about 150 g/m2, as measured by the weight ofdry coating on the fabric. In certain aspects a discrete region 110having a coating applied at this level (about 20 g/m2 to about 150 g/m2)has a structure retention of less than 60% hysteresis after 5 homelaunderings.

The coating may be applied onto the at least one discrete region 110 ofthe garment 100 by any suitable method. In some aspects the coating isapplied onto the at least one discrete region 110 of the garment 100using a spray apparatus such as that described herein. In furtheraspects the coating is applied onto the at least one discrete region 110of the garment 100 by a manual spray method, or a conventional automatedspray method.

In certain aspects, the at least one discrete region 110 of the garment100 with the coating may have improved air permeability and/orbreathability when compared to a garment having a substantially similarcoating including a polyurethane polymer. The at least one discreteregion 110 of the garment 100 may have an improved hand feel over asubstantially similar coating including a polyurethane polymer. Thecoating of the at least one discrete region 110 of the garment 100 maybe visually indistinguishable from other regions of the garment 100 suchthat the coating is substantially invisible when applied to the at leastone discrete region 110 of the garment 100.

Methods for Applying Coatings

Conventional methods for applying coatings to stretch fabrics includemanual application methods, such as those illustrated in FIG. 2. Incontrast, and with reference to FIGS. 2-7, aspects of the presentdisclosure relate to a method 700 for applying a coating to at least onediscrete region of a garment with a spray apparatus 200. The apparatusincludes a conveyance system 220, at least one spray nozzle 240 and acontroller 260. At step 710 of the method, the garment 100 is placed onthe conveyance system 220. At step 720 the garment 100 is advanced onthe conveyance system 220 so that it is proximate (e.g., below) the atleast one spray nozzle 240. At step 730 the controller 260 is operatedto activate the at least one spray nozzle 240 and apply the coating toat least one discrete region 110 of the garment 100.

In some aspects the at least one spray nozzle 240 is a hydraulicelectrically actuated spray nozzle. One purely exemplary spray nozzlesuitable for use in aspects of the disclosure is the AutoJet® PrecisionSpray Control Systems AAlO000AUH-10 PulsaJet® spray nozzle. This spraynozzle, typically used in food contact applications, has the ability toperform Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). PWM is a control principle thatprovides for a significant reduction in flow by regulating the on/offtime in which the valve operates. Pulses of on-time and off-time producea spray pattern that appears continuous but in fact results in areduction in overall flow delivered to the target surface. When used incombination with the AutoJet® 2008 PWM spray control panel (which is apurely exemplary controller 260 suitable for use in the presentdisclosure), high speed cycling up to 15,000 cycles per minute can beachieved. In some aspects the controller 260 is a 24 volt direct current(24 VDC) controller.

In some aspects the at least one spray nozzle 240 includes a nozzle tip250, as shown in FIG. 5. The nozzle tip can provide a customized spraypattern of the coating onto the at least one discrete region 110 of thegarment 100. In a purely exemplary aspect the nozzle tip is a UniJet°E-series TPU-style hydraulic spray nozzle tip, which integrates with thePulsaJet® spray nozzle described above. This nozzle tip produces an evenflat fan spray pattern with a uniform distribution of small to mediumsized drops. The TPU-style nozzle tip features a recessed orifice forprotection against damage. Interchangeable nozzle tips are available ina variety of body type /sizes, spray angles and capacities. Other nozzletips suitable for use in aspects of the disclosure include, but are notlimited to, TPU-6502E-SS, TPU-6505E-SS, TPU-8008E-SS, and TPU-8015E-SSnozzle tips.

The spray apparatus 200 may also include a conveyance system 220 asshown in FIG. 3. The conveyance system 220 allows the at least one spraynozzle 240 to be mounted to a stationary cross-bar support above theconveyance system 220. The speeds and on/off functions of the conveyancesystem may be controlled by the controller 260. The acrylic coatingsolution may be delivered through the at least one spray nozzle 240 froma pressurized vessel (not shown). The controller 260 may also controllerspray cycles and duty cycles for the at least one spray nozzle 240. Anysuitable conveyance system 220 that can move the garment 100 through thespray apparatus 200 may be used. The conveyance system may include, butis not limited to, a belt, a plurality of hangers, a plurality ofmannequins, a plurality of rollers or a combination thereof. The atleast one spray nozzle 240 need not be stationary, and in some aspectscould move relative to the garment 100 to apply the coating to at leastone discrete region 110 of the garment 100.

The coating may be applied at any viscosity that provides sufficientflow of coating solution and dispersion onto the at least one discreteregion of the garment. In some aspects the coating is applied at aviscosity of about 3 centipoise (cP) to about 50 cP. The coating may insome aspects include about 1% to about 60% solids, or in particularaspects about 40% solids, or about 50% solids, or about 55% solids, orup to about 50% solids, or up to about 55% solids, or up to about 60%solids. The solids include the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof.

The coating may be applied any number of times as desired until thedesired coating level is achieved. The garment may be dried after eachapplication of coating, after a certain number of applications, or afterall applications are completed. In some aspects the garment is placed inan oven and dried. In particular aspects the garment is dried at atemperature of from about 70 degrees Celsius (0 C) to about 150° C. at atime of from about 2 minutes to about 20 minutes. In further aspects thegarment is dried at a temperature of about 85° C. to about 120° C. at atime of from about 3 minutes to 15 minutes. Drying temperatures andtimes can be varied depending on the amount of coating applied, thecomposition of the coating and the substrate (e.g., garment material,weight, form, etc.).

The coating penetrates the surface of the fabric of the garment to coatthe fabric of the garment at the yarn level when the garment is infabric form. In some embodiments, the coating the fabric of the garmentat the yarn level includes coating the yarns at the fiber level. Bycoating the yarns of the fabric in contrast to the surface of thegarment, the air permeability and/or the breathability of regions of thegarment including the coating may be improved when compared to regionsof a garment having a coating applied to a surface of the fabric thatforms a layer on the surface. In addition, by penetrating the surface ofthe fabric of the garment to coat the yarns may result in the region ofthe garment including the coating being visually indistinguishable froma region of the garment without the coating.

Various combinations of elements of this disclosure are encompassed bythis disclosure, e.g., combinations of elements from dependent claimsthat depend upon the same independent claim.

Aspects of the Disclosure

In various aspects, the present disclosure pertains to and includes atleast the following aspects.

Aspect 1. A garment comprising yarns comprising an elastic component,the garment comprising a coating comprising an acrylic polymer orcopolymer thereof, the coating located on at least one discrete regionof the garment.

Aspect 2. The garment according to Aspect 2, wherein the coating furthercomprises a crosslinker component, and wherein the coating comprisesfrom about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the acrylic polymer and from about1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the crosslinker component.

Aspect 3. The garment according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the coatingfurther comprises from greater than 0 wt % to about 5 wt % of anadditional additive.

Aspect 4. The garment according to Aspect 3, wherein the additionaladditive comprises a dye, a pigment, an ultraviolet resistant additive,an antimicrobial additive, an odor control additive, a moisturetransport additive, a flame retardant, an insect repellant, a fragrance,or a combination thereof.

Aspect 5. The garment according to any of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein theyams further comprise natural fibers, synthetic fibers or a combinationthereof.

Aspect 6. The garment according to Aspect 5, wherein the natural fiberscomprise cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax, jute, Kapok and combinationsthereof.

Aspect 7. The garment according to Aspect 5, wherein the syntheticfibers comprise viscose, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, modacrylic,aramid, thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polybenzimidazole (PBI),polybenzoxazole (PBO), melamine and combinations thereof.

Aspect 8. The garment according to any of Aspects I to 7, wherein thegarment is pants and the at least one discrete region of the garment isa hip region, a thigh region, a knee region or a combination thereof.

Aspect 9. The garment according to any of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein thegarment is a shirt and the at least one discrete region is a collarregion, a sleeve region, a cuff region or a combination thereof.

Aspect 10. The garment according to any of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein theat least one discrete region of the garment has a structure retentionthat is at least 5% improved as compared to a discrete region of agarment comprising a substantially similar coating comprising apolyurethane polymer instead of the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof

Aspect 11. The garment according to any of Aspects I to I 0, wherein thecoating is applied onto the at least one discrete region of the garmentat a level of from 20 grams per square meter (g/m2) to 150 g/m2 and theat least one discrete region has a structure retention of less than 60%hysteresis after 5 launderings.

Aspect 12. A method for applying a coating to at least one discreteregion of a garment with a spray apparatus, the apparatus comprising aconveyance system, at least one spray nozzle and a controller, themethod comprising:

-   -   a. placing the garment on a conveyance system;    -   b. advancing the garment proximate to the at least one spray        nozzle;    -   c. operating the controller to activate the at least one spray        nozzle and apply the coating to the at least one discrete region        of the garment.

Aspect 13. The method according to Aspect 12, wherein the at least onespray nozzle applies the coating to the at least one discrete region ofthe garment with pulse width modulation.

Aspect 14. The method according to Aspect 13, wherein the pulse widthmodulation comprises a cycle time of up to 15,000 cycles per minute.

Aspect 15. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 14, wherein thecontroller is a 24 volt direct current (24 VDC) controller.

Aspect 16. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 15, wherein theat least one spray nozzle applies the coating to the at least onediscrete region in an even flat fan spray pattern.

Aspect 17. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 16, wherein thecoating is applied at a viscosity of about 3 centipoise (cP) to about 50cP.

Aspect 18. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 17, wherein thecoating comprises from about 1% to about 60% solids, or in particularaspects about 40% solids, or about 50% solids, or up to about 50%solids, or up to about 60% solids.

Aspect 19. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 18, wherein thegarment is pants and the at least one discrete region of the garmentonto which the coating is applied is a hip region, a thigh region, aknee region or a combination thereof.

Aspect 20. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 18, wherein thegarment is a shirt and the at least one discrete region of the garmentonto which the coating is applied is a collar region, a sleeve region, acuff region or a combination thereof.

Aspect 21. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 20, wherein thecoating comprises an acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof.

Aspect 22. The method according to Aspect 21, wherein the coatingfurther comprises a crosslinker component, and wherein the coatingcomprises from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the acrylic polymer andfrom about I wt % to about 99 wt % of the crosslinker component.

Aspect 23. The method according to Aspect 21 or 22, wherein the coatingfurther comprises from greater than 0 wt % to about 5 wt % of anadditional additive.

Aspect 24. The method according to Aspect 23, wherein the additionaladditive comprises a dye, a pigment, an ultraviolet resistant additive,an antimicrobial additive, an odor control additive, a moisturetransport additive, a flame retardant, an insect repellant, a fragrance,or a combination thereof.

Aspect 25. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 24, wherein thegarment comprises yams comprising an elastic component.

Aspect 26. The method according to Aspect 25, wherein the yams furthercomprise natural fibers, synthetic fibers or a combination thereof.

Aspect 27. The method according to Aspect 26, wherein the natural fiberscomprise cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax, jute, Kapok and combinationsthereof.

Aspect 28. The method according to Aspect 26, wherein the syntheticfibers comprise viscose, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, modacrylic,aramid, thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polybenzimidazole (PBI),polybenzoxazole (PBO), melamine and combinations thereof.

Aspect 29. The method according to any of Aspects 11 to 28, wherein theconveyance system comprises a belt, a plurality of hangers, a pluralityof mannequins, a plurality of rollers or a combination thereof.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinaryskill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how thecompounds, compositions, articles, devices and/or methods claimed hereinare made and evaluated, and are intended to be purely exemplary and arenot intended to limit the disclosure. Efforts have been made to ensureaccuracy with respect to numbers (e.g., amounts, temperature, etc.), butsome errors and deviations should be accounted for. Unless indicatedotherwise, parts are parts by weight, temperature is in ° C. or is atambient temperature, and pressure is at or near atmospheric. Unlessindicated otherwise, percentages referring to composition are in termsof wt %.

There are numerous variations and combinations of reaction conditions,e.g., component concentrations, desired solvents, solvent mixtures,temperatures, pressures and other reaction ranges and conditions thatcan be used to optimize the product purity and yield obtained from thedescribed process. Only reasonable and routine experimentation will berequired to optimize such process conditions.

Example 1—Ex1, Inventive Acrylic Composition

An example acrylic composition (Example 1) was made and applied ontodiscrete regions of denim fabrics according to the following process. Anaqueous acrylic dispersion with 51 wt % solids was prepared by AkronPaint and Varnish in Ohio by mixing 95.5 wt % P-0235 Part A with 4.5 wt% of a crosslinker component (Part B) for 15-30 minutes. The aqueousacrylic dispersion was applied onto stretch denim fabrics and onto thehigh wear zones of the jeans, including areas in the hips, thighs, andknees, to create zones of variable stretch and variable compression.

The viscosity of the aqueous acrylic dispersion was 42 centipoise, andwas applied at ambient lab conditions. The stretch denim products wereplaced in an oven at 90 degrees Celsius (° C.) for either 3 or 7 minutesdepending on the substrates. This process was repeated with multiplepasses as needed until a suitable add-on was achieved. Three levels ofcoating, Levels 1-3, as a measure of dry weigh t of coating on fabric,were applied to the fabrics: Level 1:20 grams per square meter (g/m2) to50 g/m2; Level 2: 50 g/m2 to 80 g/m2; and Level 3: 80 g/m2 to 120 g/m2.The stretch denim products were then consecutively washed and driedbefore they were measured.

Example 2—Ex2, Comparative Polyurethane Composition

An aqueous polyurethane dispersion with 41.3 wt % solids and a 7.2 pHwas prepared and provided by COVESTRO in Pennsylvania. The polyurethanedispersion was applied onto stretch denim fabrics and onto high wearzones of the jeans, including areas in the hips, thighs, and knees, tocreate zones of variable stretch and variable compression. The aqueouspolyurethane dispersion had a viscosity of 37 cP and was applied atambient lab conditions. The coated denims were dried in an oven at 90°C. for 10 minutes. This process was repeated, with multiple passes ifneeded, until appropriate coating levels (Levels 1-3 above) wereachieved. The dried denim products were consecutively washed and driedbefore they were measured.

Test methods

Structure retention and elastic properties of the coated stretch denimswere measured in accordance with the general method of ASTM 05035Standard Test Method for Breaking Force and Elongation of TextileFabrics. Stretch denim specimens having a 3-inch (in.) gauge length wereelongated at a constant elongation rate of 12 in. per minute untilbreak. Each specimen for ASTM D5035 was raveled to give a testing widthof 2 in. by removing an approximately equal number of yams from eachside, which oriented the yarns parallel to the force to be applied.

For percent hysteresis determination, 6 in.×6 in. samples of stretchdenim were mounted on an INSTRON® testing machine with a 3.5 in. gaugelength and cycled two times between 0% and 30% elongation at a constantelongation rate of 12 in. per minute. The percent hysteresis of a givencyclic test was determined as the area between the loading and unloadingcurves. The percent hysteresis was then calculated as:

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Percent hysteresis for a stretch denim sample is said to be goodtypically when percent hysteresis is lower, for example, when comparingpercent hysteresis between two samples, A and B, A is said to have agood percent hysteresis when the percent hysteresis value for sample Ais lower than the percent hysteresis value for sample B. For the presentinvention, the percent hysteresis tests are indicative of the level ofstructure retention, the degree of dimensional stability and thedurability the can be achieved when applying the acrylic stretch coatingonto a denim.

The inventive (Example 1, Ex1) and comparative (Example 2, Ex2) coatedsamples were home laundered (HL) for 1, 5 and 10 times and the %hysteresis was determined for each. Results are provided in Table 1, andare shown graphically in FIGS. 8 and 9. Percent hysteresis for anuncoated stretch denim sample is also provided for comparative purposes:

TABLE 1 % Hysteresis, % Hysteresis, % Hysteresis, Uncoated Level 1 Level2 Uncoated 65.96 — — Ex1, 1HL — 58.85 57.08 Ex1, 5HL — 58.31 56.50 Ex1,10HL — 61.67 59.61 Ex2, 1HL — 65.94 66.91 Ex2, 5HL — 66.29 67.01 Ex2,10HL — 66.98 68.66

From Table 1 and FIGS. 8 and 9, it is apparent that the inventiveacrylic liquid stretch coating improves the structure retentionproperties of stretch denims. The uncoated stretch denim had a %hysteresis of about 66%, and the coated acrylic samples all had improvedpercent hysteresis properties. Moreover, the structure retentionproperties were retained through multiple home launderings, indicatingthat the acrylic coating was durable. In contrast, the comparative(polyurethane) coatings exhibited no improvement in structure retentionto the stretch denim fabrics.

Example 3

Performance of a diluted coating on the garment was also evaluated.Samples of the aqueous acrylic dispersion of Ext were diluted from 0-50%as shown below in Table 2. The aqueous acrylic dispersion was appliedonto stretch denim fabrics and onto the high wear zones of the jeans,including areas in the hips, thighs, and knees, to create zones ofvariable stretch and variable compression. The coating was applied atambient lab conditions, and the stretch denim products were placed in anoven at 110° C. for 10-15 minutes. Structure retention of the garmentswas determined according to the methods described herein. Results areshown in Table 2 and the graph in FIG. 10:

TABLE 2 Solid % Improvement in Structure Dilution Content RetentionCompared to Untreated Example (%) (%) Garment Ex3.1 5 1 15.3 Ex3.2 10 520.5 Ex3.3 20 10 10.3 Ex3.4 30 15 6.2 Ex3.5 50 25 6.1 C3 N/A 50 15.1

As Ex3.1-Ex3.5 show, a diluted coating still results in garments havingenhanced performance as compared to an untreated (uncoated) garment.

Example 4

Fabrics having a coating including an additive including a dye were alsoprepared. A side-by-side comparison of the dyed fabrics is shown in thephotograph in FIG. 11. Fabric 1110 included 1% blue dye, fabric 1120included 1 wt % grey dye, and fabric 1130 was undyed.

Example 5

The air permeability or breathability of fabrics with exemplary coatingswere also evaluated. The air permeability or breathability of fabrics isthe ability to allow moisture vapor to be transmitted through thematerial. Three separate garments were tested with a coating similar tothe inventive coating (Example 1, Ex1) and one garment was tested withthe comparative coating (Example 2, Ex2). With respect to the inventivecoating, the first garment (Garment 1) was a 4-way stretch fabric formedof 67% Cotton, 26% Polyester, 4% Rayon, and 3% Spandex; the secondgarment (Garment 2) was formed of 99% Cotton and 1% Spandex; and thethird garment (Garment 3) included recycled polyester and was formed of53% Cotton, 23% polyester, 22% Rayon, and 2% Spandex. As shown in Table3 below, the air permeability or breathability of an untreated zone ofeach of the garments and of a treated or coated zone of the garmentswere measured with a percent decrease calculated for each with thehigher value indicating a greater permeability or breathability of thezone of the garment:

TABLE 3 Air Permeability/Breathability of Samples Untreated TreatedPercent Percent Example Zone Zone Decrease Maintained Garment 1 3.863.66  5% 95% Garment 2 4.65 4.05 12% 88% Garment 3 8.08 7.54  7% 93%Comparative 7.14 3.53 51% 49% Garment

As shown in Table 3, the inventive coating has a minimal effect on theair permeability or breathability, e.g., in a range of 5% to 12%, ascompared to the greater than 50% decrease shown in the comparativegarment. In other words, the air permeability of a treated zone issubstantially similar to the air permeability of an untreated zone of agarment, e.g., in a range of 88% to 95%. The minimal effect on the airpermeability or breathability of the inventive coating may be attributedto a number of factors including, but not limited to, the composition ofthe coating and the method of applying the coating. For example, thecomposition of the coating and the method of applying the coating mayallow for the penetration of the coating through the surface of thefabric of the respective garment such that the coating is applied to theyarns when the fabric is in garment form.

Example 5

Referring now to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the visual distinctiveness ofcoatings on garments was compared. With particular reference to FIG.12A, a first garment 300 includes a coated zone 310 that is coated withthe inventive coating (Example 1, Ext1) and an uncoated zone 320. Thetwo zones 310, 320 are visually undistinguishable from one another. Assuch, the inventive coating can be considered invisible or visuallyundetectable. Turning to FIG. 12B, another garment 400 includes a coatedzone 410 that is coated with a comparative coating (Example 2, Ex2) andan uncoated zone 420. As shown, the coated zone 410 is visually distinctfrom the uncoated zone 420 such that a wearer, or nonwearer, may be ableto visualize which zones or portions of the garment 400 are coated andwhich zones or portions are uncoated. In some applications, it may beadvantageous to provide a coating that is visually undetectable suchthat a wearer or nonwearer cannot visualize a coating or determine whichzones a garment are coated.

The minimal effect on the air permeability or breathability of theinventive coating may be attributed to a number of factors including,but not limited to, the composition of the coating and the method ofapplying the coating. For example, the composition of the coating andthe method of applying the coating may allow for the penetration of thecoating through the surface of the fabric of the respective garment suchthat the coating is applied to the yarns when the fabric is in garmentform.

Method examples described herein can be machine or computer-implementedat least in part. Some examples can include a computer-readable mediumor machine-readable medium encoded with instructions operable toconfigure an electronic device to perform methods as described in theabove examples. An implementation of such methods can include code, suchas microcode, assembly language code, a higher-level language code, orthe like. Such code can include computer readable instructions forperforming various methods. The code may form portions of computerprogram products. Further, in an example, the code can be tangiblystored on one or more volatile, non-transitory, or non-volatile tangiblecomputer-readable media, such as during execution or at other times.Examples of these tangible computer-readable media can include, but arenot limited to, hard disks, removable magnetic disks, removable opticaldisks (e.g., compact disks and digital video disks), magnetic cassettes,memory cards or sticks, random access memories (RAMs), read onlymemories (ROMs), and the like.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and notrestrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or moreaspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Otherembodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the artupon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to complywith 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain thenature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with theunderstanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scopeor meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description,various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure.This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosedfeature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter maylie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment.Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription as examples or embodiments, with each claim standing on itsown as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that suchembodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations orpermutations. The scope of the invention should be determined withreference to the appended claims, along with the full scope ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment comprising yarns comprising an elasticcomponent, the garment comprising: an uncoated region; and a discretecoated region including a coating comprising an acrylic polymer orcopolymer thereof, the coated region having an air permeabilitysubstantially similar to the air permeability of the uncoated region. 2.The garment according to claim 1, wherein the coated region has an airpermeability in a range of 88% to 95% of the uncoated region.
 3. Thegarment according to claim 1, wherein the coated region is visuallyundetectable from the uncoated region.
 4. The garment according to claim1, wherein the coating further comprises a crosslinker component, andwherein the coating comprises from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of theacrylic polymer and from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of thecrosslinker component.
 5. The garment according to claim 1, wherein theyarns comprise cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax, jute, Kapok, viscose,polyester, nylon, polypropylene, modacrylic, aramid, thermoplasticurethane (TPU), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polybenzoxazole (PBO),melamine, or combinations thereof.
 6. The garment according to claim 1,wherein the garment is pants and the coated region of the garment is ahip region, a thigh region, a knee region, or combinations thereof. 7.The garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment is a shirt and thecoated region is a collar region, a sleeve region, a cuff region, orcombinations thereof.
 8. The garment according to claim 1, wherein thecoated region of the garment has a structure retention that is at least5% improved as compared to a discrete region of a garment comprising asubstantially similar coating comprising a polyurethane polymer insteadof the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof.
 9. The garment according toclaim 1, wherein the coating penetrates a surface of the garment.
 10. Agarment comprising yarns comprising an elastic component, the garmentcomprising: an uncoated region; and a discrete coated region including acoating comprising an acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof, the coatedregion being visually undetectable from the uncoated region.
 11. Thegarment according to claim 10, wherein the coated region has an airpermeability substantially similar to the air permeability of theuncoated region.
 12. The garment according to claim 11, wherein thecoated region has an air permeability in a range of 88% to 95% of theuncoated region.
 13. The garment according to claim 10, wherein thecoating further comprises a crosslinker component, and wherein thecoating comprises from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the acrylicpolymer and from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the crosslinkercomponent.
 14. The garment according to claim 10, wherein the yarnscomprise cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax, jute, Kapok, viscose,polyester, nylon, polypropylene, modacrylic, aramid, thermoplasticurethane (TPU), polybenzimidazole (PBI), polybenzoxazole (PBO),melamine, or combinations thereof.
 15. The garment according to claim10, wherein the garment is pants and the coated region of the garment isa hip region, a thigh region, a knee region, or combinations thereof.16. The garment according to claim 10, wherein the garment is a shirtand the coated region is a collar region, a sleeve region, a cuffregion, or combinations thereof.
 17. The garment according to claim 10,wherein the coated region of the garment has a structure retention thatis at least 5% improved as compared to a discrete region of a garmentcomprising a substantially similar coating comprising a polyurethanepolymer instead of the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof.
 18. Thegarment according to claim 10, wherein the coating penetrates a surfaceof the garment
 19. A method for applying a coating to a discrete regionof a garment with a spray apparatus, method comprising: spraying anacrylic polymer or copolymer thereof on a discrete region of a garmentsuch that the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof penetrate a surfaceof the garment to form a coating in the discrete region; and drying thegarment such that the discrete region of the garment has an airpermeability substantially similar to the air permeability of anuncoated region of the garment.
 20. The method according to claim 19,wherein spraying the acrylic polymer or copolymer thereof comprises:placing the garment on a conveyance system; advancing the garmentproximate to the spray apparatus; and operating a controller to activatethe spray nozzle and apply the coating to the discrete region of thegarment.